"Something they wanted since last summer" – Fabrizio Romano confirms Barcelona star is wanted by former club
Barcelona star Hector Bellerin has popped up on Real Betis' radar in the ongoing transfer window, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Bellerin, 27, has struggled to cement his spot in Xavi Hernandez's first-team plans since arriving on a free transfer from Arsenal last summer. He has started just five matches – once in La Liga – across all competitions for the Catalan giants in the ongoing 2022-23 season.
An offensive-minded right-back blessed with pace and dribbling, the Spaniard is a third-choice pick in his position behind Sergi Roberto and Jules Kounde. His last two appearances have come against non-La Liga outfits Intercity and Ceuta in the Copa del Rey this term.
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In his column for Caught Offside, Romano claimed that Real Betis are interested in signing Bellerin on a permanent transfer. He elaborated:
"Real Betis want Bellerin back. This is something they wanted since last summer but at the moment, there's no green light from Barcelona. We will see if that changes in the final days of the window."
Bellerin, who is in the final six months of his deal at Camp Nou, impressed during a season-long loan deal at Real Betis last campaign. He helped them finish fifth in the La Liga standings and lift the Copa del Rey trophy, registering five assists in 32 games across all competitions.
Earlier last month, Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated that Bellerin is set to assume more importance in the second half of the ongoing term. While discussing his club's summer signings, he told BarcaTV:
"Bellerin has recovered from [his muscle] injury. I hope he's getting better. The right-back role is a challenge to consolidate. Luckily, we have Sergi Roberto and Bellerin. We also have Marcos [Alonso]."
Should Bellerin secure a transfer to the Benito Villamarin Stadium in January, he will compete for a first-team place along with Aitor Ruibal, Youssouf Sabaly and ex-Barcelona right-back Martin Montoya.
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Barcelona prepared to dish out €80 million to sign 22-year-old Serie A striker: Reports
According to TuttoSport, Barcelona are ready to splash out a whopping €80 million to snap up Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in the future. However, the La Liga club are believed to face competition from Premier League clubs, including Manchester United and Chelsea.
Vlahovic, 22, has established himself as one of the best strikers in Serie A in the last two campaigns. After scoring 49 times in 108 matches for Fiorentina, he sealed a transfer to Juventus for around €81 million last January. However, the 19-cap Serbia international has been reported to depart following the Bianconeri's 15-point deduction this season.
Overall, Vlahovic has registered 16 goals and four assists in 36 games across all competitions for the Massimiliano Allegri-coached outfit.